curl API Requests

Overview

Guidelines for making curl requests that work reliably in Claude Code's shell environment.

Critical Rules

NEVER use backslash line continuations (\) - They don't work reliably in this environment.

ALWAYS write single-line commands or use shell variables for complex requests.

Patterns

Simple GET

bash

curl -s https://api.example.com/endpoint | jq

GET with Auth Header

bash

curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" https://api.example.com/endpoint | jq

POST with Form Data

Use multiple -d flags on a single line:

bash

curl -s -X POST https://api.example.com/endpoint -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "name=value" -d "other=data" | jq

POST with JSON Body

bash

curl -s -X POST https://api.example.com/endpoint -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"key":"value"}' | jq

Using Variables for Readability

When commands get long, use variables:

bash

TOKEN="your_api_key_here"
BASE="https://api.example.com"

# Then use them
curl -s -X POST "$BASE/products" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "name=Test" | jq

Chaining Requests

Store IDs from responses:

bash

TOKEN="your_key"

# Create and capture ID
PRODUCT_ID=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/products -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "name=My Product" | jq -r '.id')
echo "Created: $PRODUCT_ID"

# Use ID in next request
curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/prices -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "product=$PRODUCT_ID" -d "unit_amount=999" -d "currency=usd" | jq

Common Headers

Purpose	Flag
Bearer Auth	`-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"`
Basic Auth	`-u "user:pass"` or `-u "$KEY:"` (colon for password-less)
JSON Content	`-H "Content-Type: application/json"`
Accept JSON	`-H "Accept: application/json"`

Useful Flags

Flag	Purpose
`-s`	Silent mode (no progress)
`-X POST`	HTTP method
`-d "k=v"`	Form data (multiple allowed)
`-H "..."`	Header (multiple allowed)
`-o file`	Output to file
`-w '%{http_code}'`	Print status code

Anti-Patterns (Don't Do This)

bash

# BAD - Line continuations break
curl -s \
  -X POST \
  -H "Auth: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  https://api.example.com

# GOOD - Single line
curl -s -X POST -H "Auth: Bearer $TOKEN" https://api.example.com

Stripe API Example

bash

SK="sk_test_your_key"

# Create product
PROD=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/products -H "Authorization: Bearer $SK" -d "name=My Product" -d "description=A great product" | jq -r '.id')

# Create price for product
PRICE=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/prices -H "Authorization: Bearer $SK" -d "product=$PROD" -d "unit_amount=999" -d "currency=eur" -d "recurring[interval]=month" | jq -r '.id')

echo "Product: $PROD, Price: $PRICE"